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let the momentum push you away in the most controlled manner you can. If you
don't get a kill, don't stick around. Grappling is a loosing proposition. Keep
moving. There's no up or down in microgravity; use that to your advantage.
Remember, if one of these guys is drifting by you can grab a boot or whatever,
slam your pick into theirankle joint, and that's an effective kill. You can
use the mace to move around, as well, by hooking into anything that's sticking
out."
"When we get to the water portion, as soon as they're done with our suits,
we'll start practicing on that. For now, you'll start working out with the
mace and getting used to it's uses and limitations. There are two other
weapons I've suggested to our friends the dwarves," the latter brought a
laugh. The dwarves were notably gruff with everyone. He held up a large
cylinder.
"This is a magnetic punch," Van said, sticking the device onto the front of
the suit and firing it. There was a clanging sound and the device flew
backwards with a large spike sticking out of the front. There was, however, a
hole in the suit. Before it had hit the ground the spike had retracted.
"The magnet holds it in place just long enough, in most cases, for the punch
to penetrate. It only pops the armor, but remember that in vacuum that's a
kill. Then it goes flying off and the spike automatically retracts. If you're
in good position, you can remain attached to the lanyard. Otherwise, just let
it go and recover it later. It's got five shots using air pressure for the
attack and retracting. There will be pressurized bottles to recharge it."
He tossed the punch on the table and picked up a much more complicated device
with a backpack and a nozzle that looked something like a flamethrower with a
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magazine sticking out the bottom.
"I'm not sure we'll have many of these," he said, pointing it at the back
wall. He pulled the trigger and line of small spikes flew out to stick in the
wall. "You'll have to have a good solid position, it's got a bit of a kick so
I wouldn't just trust your boots for example, and it's only good against soft
targets. But I think they'll probably come in handy at one point or another."
"I want,"Massa said, grinning.
"We'll see how many there are," Van said, nodding. "That's it for now. Each
of you will be issued your maces and start training with them this week. As
soon as we have suits, and the first in fighters are first in line, we'll
start training in the water tank."
* * *
"How's it shaping up?" the avatar of Edmund asked.
"Pretty good," Herzer admitted. "We've been retraining on the new weapons and
that's going well on the grav training level anyway. The engineering teams are
pretty well as dialed in as they can be without the actual equipment. Same
with the computer techs. The pilots are pretty caustic about their training
equipment, but they've learned where all the controls are, anyway. We'll have
to see if they can actually fly. And everybody has to go in the water as soon
as the suits are done."
"That should be interesting," Edmund said, smiling. "Tao is on the way over
with a courier package. You and Megan should find it interesting."
"I look forward to it," Herzer said, frowning.
"You asked for intel," the council member said, shrugging. "You got intel."
* * *
"Sir," Lieutenant Tao said, setting a courier bag on Herzer's desk.
"Thanks, Tao," Herzer said, picking up the pouch and breaking the seals.
Gersten Tao was nearly as large as the commander and, if anything, darker,
with slight epicanthic folds by his eyes and lank black hair. He'd been born
and raised on the Western Plains and was a noted horseman. He and Herzer had
met when Herzer was his instructor at Basic Officer's Course and had tapped
him, along with Amosis Van Krief and Destrang, to accompany Duke Edmund on a
"diplomatic mission" to the southern isles. The diplomatic mission had gone
badly awry but the then ensign had stuck to his salt on the long retreat to
Bimi Base. He wasn't the brightest of the three, but he was tough and
stubborn. Give him a task and he'd keep battering away at it until something
gave.
"I need you to do me a favor," Herzer said, extracting the heavy linen
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